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Festival Food Energy
=Sprouts= Sprouts are super easy to grow and even easier to eat. When you're at a party, sober or not, nutritious food can be hard to get in you. Sprouts are great because they are super concentrated nutrition. Just think: every seed has everything in it the plant needs to become an adult. When you take those seeds and sprout them you get a super concentrated version of the plant itself. For example: one 100g portion (the size you would normally get in the stores)of broccoli sprouts is equivalent in nutritional value to 5-6 lbs of full grown broccoli. The other wonderful thing about sprouts is they are very easy to digest. In fact, they are really like eating predigested foods. The proteins in sprouts come in enzymatic form, which means that instead of your body breaking the protein down, the sprouts have already done it for you. This means when you have a sketchy belly it is easier to keep sprouts down. Yet another wonderful thing about sprouts: they are SUPER cheap. You can grow enough sprouts to last you a party for about $5. The last wonderful thing about sprouts I'll mention is this: you can live on nothing but sprouts. The right combination of sprouts and you get all of the nutrients, vitamins, minerals, proteins, carbs, fibre that you need. How can you possibly go wrong? =How to Grow Sprouts= Materials that you need: 1 large glass jar (1L wide mouth mason jars work perfectly) 1 piece of cheesecloth/nylon mesh/wedding veil material 1 elastic band organic seeds water Why organic?: Well, in case it's not obvious here are some reasons that you should only sprout from organic seed: - there are more nutrients in organic produce. - organic agricultural practices are easier on the land - organic tastes better - organic ensures the lowest risk of bacterial (such as samonella) contamination How much seed to put on: small leafy seeds (ie: alfalfa, broccoli, red clover etc): 1 Tablespoon (15 mL/100 g portion. larger leafy seeds (ie: radish etc): 2 tablespoons (30mL)/100 g portion beans, peas and big things: 3-4 tablespoons (45-60 mL)/100 g portion Method Always sprout in a cool, dry area with plenty of air circulation 1. Put your seeds in a clean jar and fill it with water before you go to bed. Cover with cheesecloth and secure with an elastic band. If you are sprouting a large quantity of seeds, ensure that there is at least 3 times the amount of water to seeds. Swish the water around to ensure that all the seeds are getting access to the water 2. In the morning, when you wake up, pour the water out and rinse the seeds by filling the jar and pouring the water out through the cheesecloth. NEVER KEEP SEEDS IN WATER!!! Always drain the seeds. 3. Rinse minimum once in the morning and once at night. If you can rinse once in the afternoon as well. Break up any clumps that form with your hands or a spoon (chopsticks work well, too). 4. When hulls start rising to the top, remove and compost them. 5. Once they are looking ready to harvest, place in non-direct sunlight (for leafy sprouts) to green. 6. When they are ready for harvest, give them a final rinse and remove them from the jar. Place them in a plastic container or bag and put them in the fridge. If your sprouts start looking a little limp in the fridge, you can always give them another rinse and this should perk them up. What you can sprout almost any kind of vegetable: broccoli, radish, cabbage, arugula, rapini, peas etc any kind of legume: beans (mung, adzuki, pinto, kidney), alfalfa, clover, lentils etc most grains: oats, barley, wheat, spelt, quinoa, amaranth etc nuts and seeds: sunflower, pumpkin, almond, peanut etc Sprouting times 1. Leafy sprouts (alfalfa, radish, broccoli etc): 5-7 days 2. Beans and peas: 2-4 days. 3. Soil sprouts: 7-10 days 4. Grains: 2-3 days How to eat sprouts You can eat sprouts on/with almost anything. I've yet to find something they don't taste good with. At parties, however, there are a few ways to get them into you in tasty, easy, non-cook methods. 1. Peanut butter and sprout sandwiches: Sounds strange but adding leafy sprouts to a peanut butter sandwich is tasty and adds that much more nutrition. 2. Sprout salad: mix all your sprouts in a bowl and add your favourite dressing. Tasty, easy and so nutritious. 3. As is: some sprouts are tastier than others by themselves. My favourites to eat plain are peas and quinoa, but beans, lentils and leafy sprouts all taste good too. External links: – Mumm’s Sprouting Seeds. Excellent seed supplier and a good source of general information. – Tons of info on how to sprout, nutritional content, recipes and more. Rinsing instructions may be inaccurate. – Check the “Articles” section for lots of interesting goodies. Any Questions I am the Sprout Lady. My wellspring of sprout knowledge runs deep and likes to feed the good folks. email me: info@everydayactivist.ca